Pogačar no longer worrying about UAE’s Tour de France selection: ‘He is the only question mark’
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Follow us on GoogleTadej Pogacar does not need to worry about the support around him for the Tour de France at UAE Emirates-XRG, team boss Mauro Gianetti told IDL Pro Cycling. The Slovenian world champion will be excellently protected in the Tour, after UAE had been hit by crashes and injuries in the first half of 2026.
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UAE Emirates-XRG have seen riders crash very often this season, with the Giro d’Italia naturally the best example. In one crash, Marc Soler, Adam Yates and Jay Vine all dropped out. The millionaire squad, however, is not short of options. Pogacar will have excellent support in the mountains from Isaac del Toro, who recently won the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes overall by a clear margin, including two stage wins.
Only one question mark in Pogačar's support squad
Brandon McNulty showed superb form alongside stage winner Pogacar in the opening stage of the Tour of Switzerland. And Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch and Nils Politt will also be ready for their role. Who else will go is not yet known. Adam Yates may be an option, but Felix Grossschartner, who has been riding strongly in Switzerland, could also be in contention.
“The team is working well, we are making progress and our riders are in good condition,” Gianetti said after Pogacar’s stage win in northern Italy. “Joxean Matxin will decide who goes to the Tour, but João Almeida seems to be the only question mark. He has not recovered well from a virus, so we do not expect him in July. His recovery is more important, and the rest of the team is in good shape.”
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UAE Emirates-XRG see no problem with Pogacar’s overwhelming dominance
Whoever lines up around Pogacar in July, the world champion will ultimately have to do it himself. Gianetti saw in stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse that this is well in hand. “We know the numbers from training, but when you pin on a race number, you still look for confirmation. It was not the plan to attack so far out, but we did want to control the race.”
“We wanted to win and take the leader’s jersey, and test the condition. But then he just went,” said the Swiss, who saw Pogacar launch a 70-kilometre solo. “We knew it was not an ideal day to try anything, but this race is only five days long, so we wanted to seize our chances. Tadej was happy with his effort, on a hot and demanding day. I think he found all the answers he was looking for.”
Gianetti naturally did not see the fact that the competition seemed to quickly accept Pogacar’s solo as a problem. “It was what it was, and in the end Tadej did what he has done so many times before. He took the situation as it was. In the group behind, of course, there was some poker-playing going on. Tadej is an asset to the sport because he always puts on a show.”
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Pogacar still has room to grow at the Tour de France
“He gives something to the people and not only wins, he wins with panache,” Gianetti added, once again stressing that Pogacar should not be taken for granted as an athlete. Even when he is so dominant that the competition almost seems too afraid to attack. “We are seeing something special, and the riders in the peloton know it too. They have respect for Tadej.”
Still, a fifth and record-breaking Tour de France victory in July is no certainty. “The Tour de France is not a calculator. The level is very high now, but we need to see Tadej in the Tour first. He still has three weeks to grow there. Jonas Vingegaard? He knows exactly who Tadej is and he is working hard to be his best self. But so are we.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Checking out the European course beforehand is smart. Hope she enjoys racing at home, whatever the result.jennifer1902-11-2026
- How does the starting order get decided in cyclocross? Eighth sounds impressive if she had to work her way through the whole field.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- The article’s timeline seems a bit muddled: it says this was the 2026 Koppenbergcross, then calls it her final race of 2025–Still, her progress is encouraging.pedalpowe2902-11-2026
- It’s lovely to see her smiling and thanking the fans. Taking things week by week sounds like the right approach after such a difficult year.patriciaw02-11-2026
- Eighth after starting on the back row at the Koppenberg is a strong ride. Good to see Fem building race rhythm without the pressure of chasing victories.tourdeforce902-11-2026
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026